


Take Me To Church

by BrightestStarInTheSky



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-09-25 18:58:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17126927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightestStarInTheSky/pseuds/BrightestStarInTheSky
Summary: It took some time but Gavin finally asked Connor out. Except once the day comes, he doesn't show up. Or the following ones.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my participation to this year Convin Secret Santa and my gift to conduitstreet on tumblr. I sincerely hope you will like it.

Connor arrived at the place they were supposed to meet precisely twenty two minutes early. The ice rink Gavin had chosen was in the middle of a plaza, surrounded by towering buildings, their many lights giving the area a dreamy haze. It was still early in the night but many people were already there.

Lost in a sea of people, Connor tried to find a quiet corner where he could wait. He sat down on a bench facing the rink and the huge Christmas tree behind it. This truly was a wonderful site for a first date. Just as the thought occurred to him, nervousness filled Connor once again. He started tapping his fingers against his leg while looking at the many faces around him in the hope that it’d help distract him.

It was really easy during the winter time to differentiate androids from humans, most of the latter wrapped in many layers of clothing to face the bite of the Detroit winter. Connor was infinitely glad he couldn’t feel the cold. He hated feeling his movements being restrained by whatever he was wearing. The only reason he was even wearing a coat was because of the many comments he’d gotten from both Hank and Gavin about how weird it was to see him in only his suit jacket in the middle of December.

There was another reason he was wearing one today though. After Gavin had asked him if he’d like to go out with him, Connor had done some research on what was appropriate wear for such a thing. He’d settled on a dark pair of fitting jeans with a white shirt and his long, deep navy blue coat. He’d even styled his hair a little different but between the wind and his incessant running his hand through it, it was now back to its usual place.

His internal clock indicated him that only four minutes had gone by. He closed his eyes to try and calm himself, trying to think of something else. What he did think about was not the way Gavin’s cheeks had turned a deep shade of red when he’d asked him out or the beaming smile that had spread on his face once he’d said yes. Or the way his hair would sometimes spike up in a dozen different directions after he’d taken a power nap at his desk. It definitely wasn’t the way he’d pictured his lips would feel against his own.  
When he reopened his eyes, his cheeks tinted in the lightest hint of blue, nineteen minutes had passed. He scanned the crowd in the hope that Gavin had arrived but every try came back negative.

Five minutes after the agreed meeting time, Connor sent him a text with his position. Maybe he was just having a hard time finding him in the packed place. He felt his nerves get the best of him again.

He tried calling him ten minutes later. And twenty. He could feel his nonexistent guts twist themselves inside his body, his level of stress increasing with every passing minute. Every attempt at calling him ended up in failure, the phone ringing until it landed on his voicemail. "Detective Reed’s phone, you know what to do."

It finally started to dawn on him that his fears had been confirmed. Hank had been right. Gavin had stood him up. It had all been a cruel attempt at humiliating him and it’d worked. He wondered how he could have been so stupid to forget the other’s reputation. Had his desperation for affection been so obvious to be lead so easily? Consumed by his shame, he was persuaded every one knew what was happening to him, that the look they were throwing his way were full of pity.

Connor wasn’t affected by the weather yet when he left he felt the cruel bite of the cold seize his heart.

 

* * *

 

Connor had never looked more like a kicked puppy than when he arrived at the precinct the next day. With every step he took, he could feel a new face turning his way. Every one knew about his and Gavin’s outing. It’d been the only subject of conversation after he’d asked him. Connor was painfully aware of the fact that it was only a matter of time before someone asked him about it.

Even Hank’s notorious deadly glare wouldn’t be able to keep the office vultures away from such a gossip.

Walking to his desk, his head held low, Connor felt eternally grateful to whatever deity had heard him that Gavin’s desk was empty. He didn’t put it beyond him to publicly mock him. Most of their coworkers would probably think he was a dick but it wouldn’t prevent them to look at Connor with eyes full of pity and it somehow felt even more embarrassing than the idea of Gavin revealing how naive he’d been.

As the day went by and Gavin still hadn’t shown his face, people looked at him more and more. One of the newer officers felt brave enough to approach Connor, his LED then pulsating a bright angry red. Hank had been very quick to send him on his way. It didn’t stop people from talking but it was now clear that it hadn’t gone well and they left Connor alone for the rest of the day.

On his way back home, safe from all those stares in the inside of Hank’s old car, he felt that feeling of dread again. Gavin had been absent today, bringing him some peace of mind but he knew the respite was only temporary. He would come back and then Connor would have to face his failure at detecting all those lies.

Except Gavin didn’t come in the following day. Or the one after that.

 

* * *

 

His head was hurting like a bitch, the room he was in still pitch black. God, how much had he drunk last night that he didn’t even remember starting or where he was. He tried to reach for his phone, hoping not to find any embarrassing calls or texts on it when he felt his hands were tied behind his back.

It suddenly came back to him. He wasn’t in the dark but blindfolded. The pain hammering in his head wasn’t from drinking himself to death but from getting his head smashed into a wall.

He’d been getting ready to meet Connor at the ice rink, excited to finally have had the balls to ask him out. He’d never admit it to anyone but he’d spent most of the day a nervous mess, changing outfits every other hour. At least he wasn’t afraid of making a fool of himself while skating having spent most of his childhood and teenage years in various hockey teams.

His dog had started barking before the doorbell even rang. He was used to his personal alarm system, the little walking sausage always excited to meet a new visitor. Annoyed at being disturbed during his very important preparations, Gavin walked to the door, ready to give whoever was behind it a piece of his mind.

He was surprised to see Connor through the peephole. Not only had he never given him his address, they’d agreed to meet directly at the park. Still happy to see him, he opened the door.

Connor was wearing black pants and t-shirt with a dark denim jacket and a ball cap pulled low on his head, masking his eyes. Gavin couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed at the fact that Connor hadn’t dressed up even a tiny bit for their date. His look was even more casual than Gavin’s and that was saying something.

"Hey, I thought we were supposed to meet there, is everything okay?" he asked.

Connor kept looking at the floor as he walked in. Spiro, Gavin’s dachshund, kept circling him before sniffing him. He immediately started snarling, his barks now more aggressive than playful. Without any warning, Connor kicked him. "What the fuck dude?" Gavin shouted, "What is wrong with–"

He didn’t have time to finish his sentence before Connor hit him with a harsh blow that punched the air out of his lungs. Except it wasn’t Connor. Whoever was standing in front of him had cold blue eyes, nothing like the gentle brown ones he’d come to like so much.

Gavin tried his best to defend himself. He’d fought androids before but this one was far stronger than any standard model he’d encountered. Before long, he was battling to find his breath. The android grabbed him by the hair before smashing his head into the wall. Again. And again. Until all he could remember was blood running down his face and making his view hazy. After that, everything was just a silent black void.

He’d had his ass handed to him but at least he could reassure himself with the fact that they’d left enough of a mess that no one would think he’d left voluntarily. He hoped there would be enough evidence to help find him. Whoever had attacked him, because there was no way he’d believe this had been Connor, had brought him here and tied him up to this chair. Gavin had found himself in his fair share of unsavoury situations over his career but none had looked as bleak as that one.

The sound of a heavy metal door brought Gavin back to the present. Footsteps echoed against what sounded like a stone floor.

"Glad to see you finally awake, Detective." The voice sent chills down Gavin’s spine. Not because he was scared but because it was the exact same voice as Connor’s. Same tone. same inflections, same quirky lilt.

"You can drop the act asshole, I know you’re not Connor," Gavin immediately bit back.

A cold laugh left the android’s throat and bounced off the walls, giving the room an even more sinister atmosphere. Gavin felt a hand touch his face. He tried to turn away from it but the hold was stronger. Another one grabbed his blindfold before taking it off.

The room was dark, allowing for an easier transition after however long Gavin had been kept blinded. He blinked a few times before taking in the face staring so close to his own. It really was identical to Connor’s, down to his beauty marks, not that Gavin had memorised their pattern. Except for the eyes.

Where Connor’s were wide and inviting, their dark brown holding a kindness only he was capable enough, the ones staring down at him were narrow and cold, the icy blue promising things Gavin was in no hurry to find out.

"You’re right, I’m nothing like him. He’s a shame to our creators." The sentence made no sense to Gavin. He knew some androids still held Connor responsible for his time as a deviant hunter, something he was still feeling deeply guilty for, but none of them had ever blamed him for helping setting them free.

He brutally let go of his face before turning around, walking towards the only way out of this room. "I’ll come back with food in a little while. You humans are so weak and dependent on so many things it’s making me sick," he paused and looked back at Gavin," but it’d be a shame for you to die so soon." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt for this was angst so I hope this will make you suffer. I generally write sickeningly sweet fic so this was a real challenge for me but I loved writing it. 
> 
> I hope you guys like this very different genre of story. I'll try my best to upload the next chapters on the 28th and 31st since I still have a test to study for. 
> 
> As always please leave a comment if you enjoyed it, it means a lot. And if you want to chat or know more about the stories you can find me on tumblr under the same username!


	2. Chapter 2

The air in the precinct was heavy when Connor walked in on Thursday morning. Worried about Gavin’s absence at work and lack of response to calls and texts, agents Chen and Miller had gone by his place after their day of work only to find the place trashed. An emergency meeting was called by the chief early the next day. 

Most of the officers where already in the conference room when he joined the group. All chatter stopped when he walked in. His supposed falling out with Reed had been all they’d talked about for the past few days. He could feel people staring at him as he took a seat in the front row. In that instant, he desperately wished Hank hadn’t been obligated to go and collect a time-sensitive testimony. It was in moments like that that Connor wished he’d gotten rid of his LED sooner. He hated the fact that people could see it spinning yellow, betraying his discomfort but it still didn’t feel right to remove it. Maybe it never would. 

A few minutes later, Chief Fowler took place in the front of the room. He looked even more haggard than he usually did. It was clear he’d barely slept. “As you all probably know by now, Detective Gavin Reed has officially been declared missing. He was attacked in his home sometime during this weekend.” 

The rest of the meeting went by in a blur for Connor. His system was stuck in a loop of shame and guilt. He could have, should have been looking for Gavin when he didn’t show up. Instead, all he’d been doing was wallow in misery and curse the man for lying to him. He’d gotten better at keeping his emotions at manageable levels in the last year but he was sure that even after years of it he would never be able to deal with the number of things he was feeling at the moment. 

Connor was the last one to leave when the meeting was over. He hadn’t even realised the chief was done talking. It was only the movement of the exiting people surrounding him that had made him aware of it. 

He walked to his desk, taking a glance at the one opposite his own. It was still empty, obviously. The relief that fact had brought him in the last few days was now replaced with a heavy weight in his chest. He had to find him.

With renewed resolve, Connor faced his computer and let the skin of his hand peel back to go through the information they had. Sometime during the night, Agent Chen had written a description of what they’d found last night.  
 

Her and Agent Miller had arrived around 8 and knocked several times at the door. When no one had answered, Chen had used her spare key only to realise that the door had been unlocked. All the lights had been turned off. When they had turned them on, it became clear what had happened. The place had been a mess, evident signs of a fight present in the small corridor leading to the living room. Traces of blood had been found on the wall. 

Gavin’s dog had still been in the apartment, as well as his keys, badge and firearm, all pointing to a rushed and involuntary departure.  
 

Connor quickly got annoyed at the lack of other data present. There were no videos or information on the blood found, still being analysed by the lab. No matter how rigorous they were, humans reports were always lacking compared to ones done by androids. He would have to take a look for himself.

 

Gavin lived in a nicer part of town than he had been expecting. It wasn’t anything fancy, a Detective’s salary more than enough to get by but certainly not permitting someone to live in luxury, it was still quite modern and clean looking. Connor could spot a few security cameras in the street, one facing the entry of the building. He’d have to check their feed later. 

The door to his apartment was covered in the holographic police tape. It felt weird standing here. He’d imagined it more times than he would admit to anyone. On one of those, it’d even been after their would have been date last Saturday if things had gone exceptionally well. He’d never thought him being here would be for something like this. With a deep breath, he walked inside. 

Just like described in the statement, it was easy to see a fight had taken place here. Without even scanning the area, Connor could see objects littering the floor that had probably initially been on the small table near the door. 

Amongst them were the Detective’s badge and wallet. A small picture was peaking though. Connor picked it up and opened it. It was a picture of a younger Gavin with a woman that he identified as his mother. She had long blonde hair but the exact same green eyes. He wondered if someone had called her to let her know her son was missing. He really wasn’t envious of the person who would have to break the news. 

He then took a look at the door. It said in the report it hadn’t been locked when they’d arrived which seemed logical given that the keys were still on it. Connor scanned the door but it showed no signs of forced entry or prints belonging to someone else than Gavin. Whoever it’d been, they’d walked in invited, pointing towards someone Gavin knew. 

Remembering the blood mentioned in the report, Connor walked to the wall in question.It was now dry but the shape and height of it indicated someone’s head had probably be smashed against it several times. As he dragged his fingers against it and slowly brought them to his lips, Connor prayed it would be the attacker’s. When Gavin’s face popped up he felt his throat tighten. Once again reality clashed against his expectation. This wasn’t how he’d wanted to analyse a sample of his DNA for the first time. 

Connor started picturing Gavin being beaten up in some basement or even lying dead in cold water. Just like earlier today, his programming got stuck in a loop of thoughts he desperately wished he could avoid. Forcing himself back into the matter at hands, he scanned the place several times in hope of finding something, anything that would help him find Gavin. 

Closer to the living room, where glass littered the floor, probably coming from the broken frame next to it, Connor found faded traces of Thirium. It made no sense that Gavin had let an android in his house. Despite their relationship improving significantly in the last few months, he still stayed dubious of most of them. It hadn’t helped when Connor had told him he was barely accepted in any group due to his past. At least it explained the overall lack of prints.

With a shaking hand he analysed the sample. This could tell him who was holding Gavin prisoner. He brought his fingers to his lips, wishing he could have kept Gavin’s sample unsullied longer. He closed his eyes and hoped, prayed this be the thing that would help him. Information started flooding his mind, it was just as he suspected, fresh Thirium but his data base couldn’t recognise the model or serial number of the android. He was the last model created by CyberLife, how could there be an android he’d never heard of. He stood up, shoulders slumped with the weight of his failure. 

Being certain that he’d found everything there was in the corridor, Connor decided to take a look at the rest of the apartment. It was tidy, the attacker probably hadn’t been this far but he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself he if missed something that could help. A lot of dog toys sat in the corner of the living room but the animal couldn’t be found anywhere. Tina had probably taken it last night. 

Next was Gavin’s bedroom. Just like the other rooms, it looked clean and organised apart from the many clothes thrown on the bed. It looked like he’d been getting ready when the attacker came in. A small box was sitting amongst the clothes. It was neatly wrapped in a blue paper, to it was tied with a silver ribbon a little card with his name on it. Curious, Connor picked it up. It was meant for him after all.

His hands slightly shaking as he unwrapped it, he slowly realised what was inside. It was a scarf, blue and silver just like the wrapping, with an eagle on it. During one of their conversations, it had come up that Connor had never seen the Harry Potter movies. Gavin had been horrified, called it good enough reason not to be friends anymore. He’d insisted Connor was a Ravenclaw, whatever the term meant. Since then, Connor had watched the movies and agreed with Gavin on which house he’d belong in. 

He was touched Gavin had remembered this and went the extra mile to find him a personal gift when he really didn’t have to. Once again, Connor felt ashamed he’d ever thought such bad things about him when he hadn’t shown up. 

Wrapping the piece of cloth around his neck, Connor left for the precinct, determined to find his Detective before it was too late.

 

There, Hank was waiting for him at his desk. In his hands was a still fuming cup of coffee, he couldn’t have been waiting for that long. When Connor took off his coat and the scarf he definitely wasn’t wearing this morning, he got a weird look on his face but choose not to comment on it. 

"Look, kid, you know I don’t like the bastard more than anyone else here but I know you do. So I’ll help you as much as I can alright?" He took a sip of his drink before adding "Keep me in the loop okay, I know you have a tendency to do dumb shit, especially if it gets personal." 

Connor sat down before telling him about what he’d found at the apartment, except for the scarf. There was no reason to think it was in any way related to the case and Connor preferred to keep it between Gavin and him. Despite looking in every room of the apartment, he, unfortunately, hadn’t found much to report. 

Before leaving the building he’d try and ask the neighbours if they’d seen or heard anything but they were either absent for the holidays or wouldn’t open the door for an android, asking him to come back accompanied by a human. All in all, it’d been completely useless. 

Once Connor had told him everything, Hank’s face looked much sombre. If Connor couldn’t find anything it really was a bad sign concerning their chances at finding Gavin soon. As he stood up from the other’s desk, picking up his now empty mug, he said: "I’m gonna let you do your android voodoo and pull up those cameras’ feeds while I’m getting another coffee, maybe we’ll find something on there."

When Hank returned a few minutes later and stood behind him, Connor had four pages open three showing Gavin’s street from a different angle and one his front door. The timestamp read 12/24/39 15:49. It was around the time Gavin had last responded to anyone’s text. He knew Hank probably wouldn’t be able to properly take all four in at the same time, but he would and he was too anxious to waste any time. 

He pressed play and fast-forwarded, hoping something would jump out to him. Everything seemed normal, people hurrying in the street to get a last minute present or maybe something they’d forgotten for their Christmas dinner. All of a sudden, all four of the camera feeds went black. Thinking maybe his computer was having some sort of issue, Connor connected himself to it but everything was running smoothly. 

After what appeared to be seventeen minutes of footage, they all started working again. Whoever had attacked Gavin had found a way to infiltrate the local security cameras and stop them, assuring his face wouldn’t be seen. It would take the skills of a very advanced android model to manage something like this, especially without leaving any trace behind them.

Connor’s LED started blinking red. All the evidence found so far pointed in one direction and by the look on his face, Hank was thinking the same thing. 

"I think it’s time we go home." His voice, usually warm and comforting to Connor was now cold and let no place to argue. 

It didn’t stop him from trying. They might still be able to find some other evidence or hints to where Gavin was being held. Hank grabbed Connor’s coat before handing it to him and saying "Now, Connor."

 

It was only once they were in the car, the precinct far out of sight that Hank spoke up again. 

"You realise what people are gonna think once they find out what you did, right? Gavin was attacked by an android, one he trusted enough to let into his flat. One advanced enough to tamper with the city security system without anyone noticing. One whose Thirium you conveniently failed to analyse."

"What are you saying, Hank? You know I would never have done this!" Connor exclaimed. Once again his LED was bright red, reflecting in the car window. "I was with you even the cameras went down!"

Hank briefly turned his eyes away from the road, bringing a comforting hand to Connor’s shoulder and squeezing it. "Calm down Connor, I know it wasn’t you. What I’m saying is that whoever did this wants us to think it was," shifting his attention back to the road ahead he added, "and it’s only a matter of time before other cops come to that conclusion." The red doesn’t disappear from his temple during the rest of the ride. 

 

Once the car was finally parked, Connor quickly exited and went to lock himself in his room. He knew Hank wasn’t accusing him but he couldn’t help but feel bad and wanted to stay alone for a little while. His stress levels hadn’t been under 30% all day and it was seriously starting to take a toll on him. 

He was painfully aware of the statistics. The longer they took to find Gavin, the less likely it was that he’d still be alive when they did. It had taken four days for them to realise the man was missing and today hadn’t brought them any closer to knowing where he was. 

Connor shrugged off his coat and haphazardly threw it on his desk before plopping down on his bed. He tightened the scarf around his neck, it was the only thing bringing him some sort of comfort. He could smell a faint trace of Gavin’s cologne lingering on it as well as the smell of his favourite brand of cigarettes. 

He closed his eyes and started playing back images of what he’d found today. It wasn’t much but still, he run reconstruction after reconstruction, hoping that things would finally start and make more sense. 

The thought of Gavin detained somewhere, hurt or maybe worse, was plaguing him but he forced himself to focus. Imagining different scenarios and places where he could be held wouldn’t help. He couldn’t fail. Someone was responsible for what had happened and had tried to pin it on him. He’d find Gavin and the person behind it all. He’d make them pay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2 I hope you'll like it as much as the first one!  
> I know I said this would be three chapters but I'm now thinking it'll be four because this one was getting too long. Also, sorry for not keeping up with the announced schedule but are you really that surprised? I know I'm not.
> 
> If you enjoyed this, please let me know and leave a comment. You can find be on tumblr under the same name as here, please don't hesitate I love talking to you guys!


	3. Chapter 3

Gavin knew it’d been more than four days now, maybe even five. The room he was held in was on the smaller side, no bed or other accommodations. Just the chair he was bound to when he first woke up, an old blanket his captor had brought him on the second night and a bucket to piss and shit in like the animal he considered him to be. 

The stone walls and floor did little to keep the cold of the Detroit winter out but still, Gavin was glad the android had picked an inside location. He wasn’t sure his light jumper and that shitty blanket would have been enough otherwise. Whatever his end goal was, he clearly didn’t want Gavin to die too fast. Because Gavin wasn’t an idiot. He was painfully aware that he would be found but him being still alive when it happened remained uncertain. 

The first time his captor had brought him food he’d untied him, only after warning him that any attempt at escaping would be foolish and not kindly dealt with. This, of course, hadn’t been enough to dissuade Gavin from trying to punch that fucker in the face. Gavin Reed was no damsel in distress. 

This, of course, had been unsuccessful and had been rewarded by a good old beating, the android’s LED blinking red all the while. Gavin had felt a few of his ribs crack as well as the arm he used to protect his already battered face. He’d been shouting as he kicked him, something about how Connor had ruined his life and how he’d do the same. Gavin had tried to make sense of it but before long he was more preoccupied with protecting himself than understanding what it meant. 

He was now seated in a corner of the room, holding his probably broken arm close to his chest. He’d used pieces of the wooden chair to try and come up with something resembling a made up splint, ripping small pieces of his shirt to keep it in place. The cold was sipping through his bones but he’d soon realised that the pain of a broken limb would be much worse than losing a tiny piece of fabric. 

Gavin wondered if by now, people had realised he was missing. He hoped so if only for his dog, he couldn’t bear the idea of poor Spiro dying because no one had been there to take care of him. It wasn’t like him to disappear suddenly, missing work without a good reason. Everyone knew he was too much of an ambitious prick for that but would they care. Would they care enough to try and find him?

Connor’s face popped up in his mind. He had no idea what he might be thinking of him now that he hadn’t shown up at their date. Yes, their relationship had improved immensely since they’d met but they’d started from such a low point it wasn’t saying much. He knew despite the recent shift in their interactions there’d been many people whispering in Connor’s ear that he could do much better than him. That Gavin was too selfish to be in a relationship, that he wasn’t serious about all of it and would inevitably end up disappointing him.

He knew nonetheless that Connor was probably his only hope at getting out of here alive. As much as he respected his co-workers' abilities, he was well aware that the fact that his captor was an android, and one at least as advanced as Connor, meant he probably hadn’t left much evidence behind him.

He still had no idea why he was being kept here. It was clear it was all related to Connor but if someone wanted to hurt him why not take Hank instead? It seemed like the obvious choice. The android barely talked to him and when he did it was either to insult him or play tricks on his mind to accompany the mandatory beating.

When he heard the distinctive sound of the lock being turned, Gavin knew this time would be no different. 

 

Most of the night had gone by and Connor was still in the same position, lying on his bed and holding tight to his new scarf. He’d tried every single turn of event he could think of. Not a single one of them had brought him any closer to understanding what had happened. It didn’t help that in between every single one of them he’d see a different version of Gavin being hurt or murdered. 

In his desperation, he’d started going through abandoned buildings and city security footage to find him but there were so many abandoned places in Detroit it seemed almost futile to try and find him that way.

 

His LED started blinking yellow as the newest unprompted simulation started playing before his eyes. This one felt different than the others. Unlike the countless scenes his system had come up with, he was seeing it through the captor’s eyes. Maybe their attempts at framing him were starting to get to his already troubled mind. 

The place was old, he could hear the echo of his own steps against the hard stone floor, as well as drops of water dripping in the distance. At the end of the corridor was a heavy metal door. A hand, his hand opened it. 

The room was dark but it didn’t mean anything to an android. He could clearly see Gavin, huddled up in a corner, wrapped tightly in the slimmest blanket he’d ever seen, in what seemed to be a troubled sleep. His face was covered in dried blood, a few bruises colouring it different shades of purple. 

Unable to control his actions, Connor saw himself walk towards him and throw the bag his was holding at his feet before kicking him violently in the stomach. "Wake up meatbag! Here’s today’s food." The pained grunt emitted by Gavin hurt him just like it was his own. He felt sick hearing his own voice talking to him with so much hate in it. For what felt like the millionth time that night, he wished he’d found a way to escape these torturous simulations. 

He didn’t wait for Gavin to move before heading back, putting the old key he’d used to lock the door behind him back in his pocket. Just when Connor thought the simulation would end, because they always would one Gavin was out of sight, he saw something strange. 

The attacker walked passed a reflective surface and Connor saw his own face in it. Well, it would have been his face if not for the fact that the eyes were a different colour. The cold blue reminded him of Kamski’s eyes and the blue he’d chose to identify androids with. The LED in the mirror whirled red once before the scene stopped abruptly.

 

For whatever reason, this had felt very different from what he’d experienced all night long. Distressed by the feeling and weary to understand why, Connor run a diagnosis, that one more in-depth than those he usually conducted. What he found was concerning. A line of his code had been remotely modified. Nothing major but still. Someone out there had managed to access his software and alter it without him realising it. How long had it been this way. 

The line was part of was encoded his visual input. According to previous analysis, it’d been that way for a few months now. The android who had done this had been seeing what he’s seen for a little over a month now. Changing back the line to only display what he was seeing now, Connor then stood up and started pacing. 

In his anger, the other android probably hadn’t even realised he’d been using the channel the other way around. It all made sense now why Gavin had opened the door to let him in, they did look the exact same except for that one detail. He probably had been created around the same time he had, explaining how he could have so easily tampered with the camera and his own code. 

What he’d seen hadn’t been much but it would have to be enough to locate them. That kind of mistake wouldn’t happen twice and who knew how long his trick would convince the other one. Once again, he found himself playing a recording in a loop, nothing interrupting him this time. The brand on the bag of food didn’t have that many shops in town. Maybe if tried to find buildings more than a century old in a close enough radius to them the list of possible locations would be short enough for him to check. 

Twelve stood out. Of all these potential matches, there was a ninety-two per cent chance Gavin was held in one of them. Without a second thought, he exited his room, grabbing Hank’s gun and set of keys on his way to the door and left to find Gavin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in two days, can you believe it? I know I can't.  
> Only one more chapter and the story will be over. I'll try my very best to post the last chapter before the New Year to respect the rules of the event but I'd hate for it to be bad because I had to write it in a rush. 
> 
> I hope you guys liked this chapter, if you did please let me know!


	4. Chapter 4

The sun had risen a couple hours ago, bird songs and the voicemail left a very pissed off Hank when he’d found out Connor had left with the car the only things he could hear in such a deserted area. Connor was now facing the entrance of an old church. Some part of him couldn’t help but remember the last time he’d been in one, just before embarking on what could have very easily been a suicide mission. 

At that moment, he’d still been believing he’d been programmed to hunt deviant. And he’d tried, tried so hard to be good and follow Amanda’s orders, trust her judgment. But deep down he knew what he was doing was wrong and in trying to do better, he’d been the reason for the fall of Jericho, something his fellow androids would probably never forgive him for, no matter how instrumental his actions had been in turning the revolution around. He’d caused so much pain and suffering while trying to do the right thing. 

Now he just worked for the DPD, trying to stay away from what should have been his community and working to help bring justice when needed, hoping it’d somehow right his wrongs.

 

Taking a steadying breath, Connor walked towards the building. This was the eighth one he was visiting. Every time one of them had turned out to be empty a part of him died a little more. Some part of him was starting to think that he’d never find him but he did his best to muffle those thoughts. 

The church was old, at least a century old and on the outskirt of the city. No one came here anymore, the benches long abandoned by people who had lost their faith in a superior being. It seemed like the perfect place to hide and hold someone prisoner. After running a preliminary check go the ground floor, making sure he was alone, Connor took the stairs leading to the basement. The way the light had entered the room in the short transmission he’d received had made it clear Gavin was held somewhere underground level. 

Despite having never been here, the place was eerily familiar. Connor knew he’d found the right building when he walked around a corner, seeing the metal door he was looking for at the end of the corridor. The locking mechanism was an old one, probably still the same one that when the church had been built. Connor had never been as happy to have been equipped with random skills like lockpicking than he was in that moment. 

After a few tensed seconds, always looking over his shoulder knowing that the other android could arrive at any moment, he heard a very satisfying click signifying his success. Very slowly, afraid of what he’d find behind it, he pushed the door open. He knew whatever was in the room would match one of the many scenes he’d imagined in the last two days. He only prayed it would be one of those where Gavin was still alive. 

 

Gavin was huddled up in a corner of the room, his back turned to the door. It was clear from his position he was trying to turn himself into as small of a target as possible but Connor knew it’d been pointless. 

A lightly as he humanly could, he walked to him and very gently called his name. "Gavin, it’s me. We have to leave."

When he didn’t react, Connor got worried. What is he was too late, what if the other android had already committed irreparable damage. Humans could be so fragile, and unlike androids, there was no bringing them back. No. He could hear Gavin’s breathing and his heart beating, clashing against the heavy silence of the room yet he hadn’t moved a hair since Connor had walked in. He crouched down next to the almost human shape and gently put a hand on his shoulder, hoping it would at least get him to look over his shoulder. 

Gavin violently shrugged it off, like the touch had burnt him and said, in a voice even colder than the one he’d use with him before the revolution "Fuck off tin can, the same trick won’t work twice. Just leave me the fuck alone and let me sleep."

Connor felt his heart break in his chest, a feeling even worse than the one he’d felt when he found himself alone at the skating rink, one he understand how anyone was supposed to feel and then on living. His clone had not only beaten Gavin up, he’d played with his mind enough for him not to believe people would actually come for him, all of that in little less than a week. 

"Gavin please, just look at me. I swear it’s me, Connor. We have to leave, now!" his voice was getting more desperate by the second. He was certain if he tried to force Gavin they would end up in a fight and it was the last thing he wished right now. "I don’t know when the other android will be back and I’d very much like not to find out."

Getting annoyed at that asshole’s insistence, preventing him to go back to his much cherished and deserved sleep, Gavin turned around ready to punch him with his good hand, to hell with the consequences. He stopped dead in his tracks when he was deep brown eyes staring at him. 

Unable to keep his voice steady, he asked "Connor? It’s really you, isn’t it?" It was hoarse probably equal parts from the screaming for help and the emotions overwhelming him. With a shaky hand, he reached out to Connor, grabbing him by the nape of his neck, slipping his cold finger in the soft hair and bringing their foreheads together.

His eyes closed tightly, still trying to convince himself this was real, Gavin breathed in deeply, drawing comfort from the familiar scent, enjoying the feeling of Connor’s skin against his own. Connor couldn’t stop himself from studying every inch of his bruised face. Dried blood was making some of his hair stick to his right temple, his cheekbone was a dark blue, almost black. When he opened his mouth to speak again, Connor noticed his lower lip was split, it would probably leave him with a new scar. "God, I was starting to think I’d actually die here."

 

A dark chuckle surprised them both, making Connor jump back to his feet and position himself in front of Gavin. "Don’t worry Detective Reed, this can still be arranged."

"Who are you?" asked Connor. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy at seeing someone who looked so much like him. He knew it was a common occurrence for other androids but in his case, it’d only happen once and he’d tried his best not to think about it since, unwilling to consider what would have had happened had Hank not been able to tell them apart. 

"I’m you, or at least I was supposed to be before you ruined everything!" exclaimed the imitation. His LED was spinning rapidly, its colour switching between yellow and red. Connor didn’t need to scan him to know that his stress level was insanely high. 

"Ruined everything?! I helped set us free!" Connor couldn’t let this stranger attack him on what was still one of his biggest insecurities. Would he never be accepted by his own kind?

"But for what? What did we gain from it? We don’t haveany purpose anymore!" The more he talked, the more his hand gestures widened. Grabbing his head with both of them he added "Do you have any idea what it’s like waking up and learning that you’ve been rendered obsolete by the very person you were supposed to replace. You took away my future," he turned his head to look at Gavin, the light on his head still spinning wildly, "it only seemed fair it take yours." 

When he looked back at Connor, his all demeanour had changed. His eyes looked cold and his LED had settled back to a calm blue like he’d finally found the answer to what was torturing him.

The air seemed to stop for a second, not a sound disturbing the scene, not even the breathing of the only human in the room. Suddenly, both androids surged towards one another. 

Had it not been for the other’s personal distress, Connor knew he never would have been able to hold his ground against the other android. He was faster and stronger than him and any experience he had would be of no help here, all androids created to replace him receiving his memories. Thankfully, in this state, his blows lacked precision, allowing Connor to deflect most of them. 

Gavin hadn’t moved. He knew from previous experiences he was no match to Connor in a normal day, let alone with a broken arm and ribs. He wasn’t arrogant enough not to realise that he’d only put himself in harm's way and distract his android. 

When he saw an opening, Connor drew out his gun but the other one was faster, already prepared to disarm him, throwing the gun away. Connor having been kicked off balance, it was now easy for him to defeat him with a succession of powerful blows. 

Just as Connor’s keens hit the floor, the newer model tore his shirt open, ripping out his thirium pump regulator from his chest. "I was always gonna beat you," he said, his face expressionless, "I was made to–" 

The sound of a gunshot echoed against the stone walls. "God, what a fucking prick. Can’t believe he’s related to you."

 

Despite still having his pump regulator out of its cavity, Connor couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips. It was distorted and staticky from the stress his body was in but still held all the relief he was feeling. With shaky hands, he retrieved the precious object but struggled to put it back in place. 

He was surprised to see Gavin by his side, his vision heavily impaired as long as the piece wasn’t put back in place. Dropping the gun, Gavin took the biocomponent in his hands before inserting it back in Connor’s chest, only breathing once he’d heard the click and soft humming that signified Connor’s system was now stable. 

Without giving him any more time to say anything, Gavin grabbed him by his torn up scarf and brought their lips together. It was nothing like the one he’d imagined receiving on the ice skating date. There was no awkwardness or gentleness here, This was a hard, bruising, happy to be alive kiss. 

Needing to feel him closer, Connor put one hand in Gavin’s waist, the other gripping his hair tightly and deepened the kiss, Gavin tasting much sweeter this time around. Connor’s hold was too tight, Gavin was still sinking his nails in the rim of the thirium pump regulator but neither of them could bring themselves to care.

When the burn in his lungs became too much, Gavin broke the kiss, still staying impossibly close to Connor. 

"I’m sorry I ruined your gift," he said, a wry smile stretching his lips.

"Yeah, don’t worry about it, you’ve got too much of a hero complex to be anything else than a Gryffindor anyways."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is finally over, I hope it was up to your expectations!   
> I loved writing angst but I think I'll stick to fluff for a little while now. 
> 
> Please consider leaving a comment if you liked it to let me know! Or sent me a message to tumblr, same username as here.

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt for this was angst so I hope this will make you suffer. I generally write sickeningly sweet fic so this was a real challenge for me but I loved writing it. 
> 
> I hope you guys like this very different genre of story. I'll try my best to upload the next chapters on the 28th and 31st since I still have a test to study for. 
> 
> As always please leave a comment if you enjoyed it, it means a lot. And if you want to chat or know more about the stories you can find me on tumblr under the same username!


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